Exercise response, metabolism at rest and digestibility in athletic horses fed high-fat oats.

This study explores the effects of feeding athletic horses with high-fat oats, as opposed to regular oats. The objective is to understand if these oats can effectively reduce the horses’ starch intake, increase energy, and maintain good health without any adverse effects on their metabolism or response to exercise.

Objective and Methodology of the Study

• The study aims to understand the effects of high-fat oats on athletic horses. The researchers are particularly interested to see if these different oats impact the horses’ metabolism, response to exercise, and digestibility beneficially.
• The methodology involved the use of 12 Standardbred trotters. The horses were fed three differing diets comprising regular oats (diet C), high-fat oats (diet F), and a 50:50 mix of both oats (diet M), along with haylage. High-fat oats were replaced with regular oats in a ratio of 0.9 to 1.0 in diets F and M.
• The feeding schedules lasted for 21 days for each experimental stage. On Day 18 of each stage, the horses underwent a near-maximal treadmill test, and samples of their blood and muscle biopsies were collected pre and post exercise. The final three days involved a total collection of faeces and urine for further analysis.

Results of the Study

• The results showed little to no significant effects of the differing diets on body weight, heart rate, plasma lactate, glucose, or on muscle glycogen and lactate concentrations following exercise.
• However, plasma insulin levels were lower during exercise when the horses were fed diets F and M as compared to diet C. This indicates that high-fat oats may have influenced insulin regulation positively during physical activity.
• Digestibility metrics showed that the total tract digestibility of dry matter, fat, protein, NDF, and organic matter were higher for diet F than for diet C. This means high-fat oats improved the overall digestion process of the horses, thereby boosting their health and efficiency.

Conclusions Drawn from the Study

• The study concluded that high-fat oats can replace regular oats in the diet of athletic horses, without any adverse effects on metabolism and exercise response. This nutritional change did not impact their overall health performance negatively.
• Furthermore, due to the high energy content and better digestibility, high-fat oats showed an increased potential to reduce the daily allowance of oats, and thus the intake of starch. This could potentially lower the associated health risks and improve the overall wellness and performance of athletic horses.